


Wind Shear

by Stacysmash



Series: BokuIwa Shapeshifter AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Action, Enemies to Lovers, Futuristic, M/M, Rating for Bad Language, Sexual Tension, Shifter Bokuto, Sort Of, Supernatural - Freeform, hunter iwaizumi, shapeshifter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 04:22:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17318006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: After a man is found dead near the owl shifter territory, it's up to Iwaizumi to capture one of them to bring in for questioning. A mission that's easier said than done.





	Wind Shear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HonestlyHaikyuuTrash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HonestlyHaikyuuTrash/gifts).



Iwaizumi swerved around slower vehicles with ease, pushing his sports bike to the limit though it hardly made any noise above a gentle hum. It irritated him at first, having such a quiet bike when he was used to the pleasant roar of his old one. But at Oikawa’s insistence that he trade in his reliable Suzuki, he switched to an electric bike that put out more power and was able to enter the domain of any shapeshifters without them immediately knowing he was there. For that reason mostly, he relented and though it lacked the aesthetic of his previous bike, he had to admit it was more suited to a hunter.

He glanced to his right over the blur of the guardrail, squinting at the rosy glow of the sunset. It was lovely, but he had no time to waste as he turned his face back to the road, shifting to a higher speed. His mission was a serious one and he needed to remain focused.

The relationship between humans and shapeshifters was a tenuous one, accidents and hate crimes occurring on both sides. It was his job as a hunter to protect humans at all costs. The other day, a human was found dead not too far from where he was at the moment with vicious claw marks across his body. It all pointed to the owl shifters who dwelled in the mountain forests and the humans were out for blood. It was up to Oikawa’s team of highly trained hunters to keep the peace, and while none of them wanted the whole situation to spiral out of control, they wanted justice as well.

As Iwaizumi began his ascent up the curved and narrow mountain roads, the sun slipped beneath the horizon, abandoning him to the cool twilight without any light to guide his way. He didn’t dare turn on his headlights but there was no need as his visor switched over into night mode. The wide strip of glass in front of his face rendered digitally a perfect view of the terrain ahead of him, even giving him extra information on nearby heat signatures. It seemed like he was still too far from his destination to register anything bigger than a few stray bats fluttering around in the tree branches stretching out over the road.

He ignored the prickle of goosebumps that fluttered down his back, his nervous anticipation reflecting physically across his skin. It was always that way with a hunt, his exterior remaining cool and focused while inside he was itching for action. It didn’t help how mysterious the wilderness could be so far away from town, a haze of mist drifting down the cliffside next to him and across the narrow mountain path. As eerie as it was, he loved every bit of it. If the forests stretching up the mountain slopes weren’t so dangerous, he would have preferred to live there instead of the congested city.

The air grew thinner and colder as his bike climbed higher. He nearly startled when his visor reflected large heat signatures up ahead and he pulled his bike to the side of the road as soon as there was space to do so. As soon as he pulled his helmet off, he sighed with relief at the pleasant caress of a cool breeze through his hair. His helmet was tricked out with an impressive number of features, but the damn thing was too hot and no amount of complaining ever urged Hanamaki to create some sort of ventilation for him, claiming it would disrupt the aesthetic of his design. Iwaizumi knew better, his _friend_ just enjoyed watching him suffer. Actually, all his friends enjoyed watching him suffer but that was okay because he loved making life hell for them too. Sharing is caring.

He promptly removed a massive gun from its hold and strapped it to his back. It looked like a bazooka, but shorter stocked and instead of firing any sort of ammunition, it released a weighted net specifically designed to capture his quarry. He had plenty of weapons already, a couple knives and one canon pistol holstered on his belt, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to use them. Even in the situation he was in, he preferred capturing his target alive and leaving the judgment to other men.

Strapped to his wrist was another heat-signature indicator, showing a little red dot blinking in the corner of the screen to give him a little direction on where to head once he was decked out with his equipment. His footsteps made no noise as he moved forward into the forest, leaving behind the security of the road for a straight path instead. The longer he was in the forest, the more chances that the shifters will find him before he can get a jump on them.

There were many different races of shapeshifters all over Japan, all of them as lethal and mysterious as the next. The owl shifters were the only ones residing on this particular mountain; the territorial birds wouldn’t stand for any others encroach on their land. And with their perfect night vision, superior hearing, and ability to silently swoop on their enemy in the blink of an eye, no one was foolish enough to try.

Mistakes weren’t an option for Iwaizumi, and he kept his senses keen to avoid slipping up and alerting the owls to his presence. The forest was hushed, the loudest noises being the rustle of leaves fluttering in the wind and a few scatterings of crickets chirping their nightly song. Iwaizumi froze when he heard a shriek cut through the air, not too far away judging by the volume of it.

He remained still, not moving a muscle as he waited for another call. Another shriek rang out with another right after it from a different individual. Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes in the direction, his eyes flickering down to his indicator just to be sure he was estimating correctly. Licking his lips, he finally moved forward, turning his body slightly to follow the shiver-inducing cries of the owl shifters.

His path led him to a cliff without many trees to lurk behind. He lingered back for a moment, his eyes scouring the skies above that were well lit by the full moon rising over the tree line. A gasp ripped through his throat as something shot up past the cliff in front of him, a blur of shadow until a moonbeam fell across it. The owl shifters didn’t look like typical owls; besides being much larger in size, their bodies were slenderer with a more humanoid shape. The one that had flown past Iwaizumi paused mid-air, stretching its wings out as it seemed to be waiting for something.

Iwaizumi’s heart pounded as its head swiveled around but he didn’t dare move, knowing even a flinch would send that owl’s head jerking right toward him. The trees behind him began to crack and before he could turn around, a shadow passed above him and flew straight for the other owl. The one waiting gave a chirp, a sound Iwaizumi could have sworn sounded like a laugh and took off for the other to chase it.

He watched as the two shifters danced around each other in the cool night air, stirring up a stray wisp of cloud. Their silver feathers glimmered in the moonlight, and he almost forgot why he was there as the ethereal beauty of the creatures entranced him. They were lost in their own little world and he couldn’t help wondering whether they were mates or just very good friends as they were obviously attached to each other.

A sickening feeling swirled in his stomach, feeling like he had suddenly become a villain in his own story. His job was to capture one of them and drag it back to his base for questioning, but the last thing he wanted to do was separate two creatures that were bonded. Even if they weren’t, the shifters lived in a flock and taking any of them away would be heart-wrenching to all of them.

 _A man is dead because of them. Focus Iwaizumi,_ He reminded himself and shook his head to refocus himself. While the two birds were distracted, he lowered himself into the grass and shuffled forward, pausing every few feet to make sure they hadn’t noticed him. He settled behind a large boulder and unstrapped his net cannon, but he wasn’t ready to use it just yet. The net was only large enough for one bird and if he was to snatch one of them while the other was present, he would be setting himself up for an attack. He rested the gun on the boulder anyways, ready for the first opportunity he could get.

His patience was rewarded a few minutes later when the larger of the two owls caught sight of something below and dove for it, leaving the other to watch from above as it glided in lazy circles. Iwaizumi took a deep breath and released it slowly, lining up his shot and waiting a few moments to be sure the other was far enough away. His face scrunched up as he strained his finger on the trigger, the gun bucking into his shoulder as he released the net toward the lone owl.

The movement caught the creature’s eye and it shrieked in alarm, but it was too late for it to get away as the net wrapped around it and weighed it down. It struggled as it plummeted, unable to slow its descent with its trapped wings. Luckily, it wasn’t a far drop to the ground below, so its landing wouldn’t be hard enough to injure it.

Iwaizumi knew he had to act fast, unhooking a grappling hook from his belt and wrapping it around the boulder. As soon as it was secure, he jumped back off the cliff with the cord in his hands, hopping off the cliff face with his feet as he zipped down. When his feet hit the ground, he unhooked the cord from his belt and wrenched out his pistol from its holster. The owl shifter was still trapped in the net, but it was slowly morphing back into its human-like form. When it was finished, it looked like an ordinary young man around Iwaizumi’s age, shorter than even himself.

The shifter watched him approach, his arms folded across his chest with a smirk forming on his lips. The expression irritated Iwaizumi. He was used to his captured creatures fearing him, but the shifter staring back at him seemed perfectly content in that state.

“Considering your situation, you think you’d be a little more nervous.”

“Funny, I was about to say the same to you,” The shifter shot back.

“I’m not the one in the net.”

“Right. By the time my friends are done with you, you’ll probably wish that you were.”

Iwaizumi paused and looked around. The other shifter hadn’t returned yet, and there were no shrieks or calls ringing through the air.

“Are you sure anyone’s coming to rescue you? Sounds like this might be the easiest capture I’ve had yet,” Iwaizumi chuckled, taking another step toward the shifter who smirked even wider and shook his head.

“Famous last words.”

A gust of air smacked against Iwaizumi as shadow swooped down in front of him, stretching out its wings over the captured shifter like a canopy. As he lifted his head, the new shifter revealed his human face, the moonlight glinting in his narrow eyes and a wide smile holding deadly intentions.

“Not bad, for a human,” He said, giving a quick lick of his lips as he stared back at Iwaizumi. “Is it just you here though? I was hoping for more of a fight.”

“I think I’ll do alright on my own,” Iwaizumi answered, his feet grinding in the dirt to stabilize himself as he held up his pistol. The owl didn’t even blink at having it pointed straight at his head, so Iwaizumi cocked it to prove he wasn’t bluffing. The owl snickered and shook his head, the movement rustling his light-colored hair.

“I would love to see you try, big bad hunter.”

In an instant, a shadow was beside him, too quick for him to react. A force pummeled against his shoulder and shoved him to the ground, but his grip on his gun remained tight. He jerked to his back and shoved the pistol up, firing immediately at whatever had hit him but the shadow was already gone.

His instincts to flee went haywire as gusts of air smacked him from all sides and the light from the moon flickered from obstructions swooping overhead. Iwaizumi didn’t waste any time hopping to his feet and ducking back into the woods. He had a vague sense of where his bike was since he didn’t dare waste time stopping to mess with any of his navigation devices. Even with the cover of the surrounding trees, the owls had no trouble keeping up with him as they swerved around branches. A couple even chased him on foot with only their wings still emerged to give them an extra boost to grab him if they needed it.

The worst part was that they weren’t even angry at him. They were blatantly messing with him, rushing at him but never actually attacking him. Iwaizumi tried firing off some shots but each time he hit nothing but air or perhaps a nearby tree, sending fragments of bark spraying everywhere. Sweat poured down his face and trickled into the collar of his leather jacket that was stifling him at that point. Earlier that afternoon, Oikawa had made fun of him for choosing that as his attire, holding up a light jacket with dozens of features sewn into the breathable fabric.

 _Why does that asshole always have to be right?_ He mentally growled, yanking on the stiff collar to give his skin a little air. He gasped when he came on a sudden drop in the terrain, but his feet skidded off the ledge when he tried to stop. Roots and rock collided with his body as he spun down the steep hill until he finally rolled onto flat ground.

He groaned and sat up, blinking as his vision cleared up slowly. He was in a round clearing, surrounded by mature trees that stretched high above him, the moon just rising above the thick canopy. Rubbing the back of his head, he realized that his pistol had finally dislodged from his grip and was lost somewhere in the dark wilderness surrounding him.

The process of getting to his feet was slow with pain shooting all over his body, but nothing seemed to be broken. He was barely on his feet when he felt several bursts of air around him, each as quiet as a whisper. Dread swept over him as he gazed around the clearing, counting at least five owl shifters emerging from the shadows surrounding him. They stared back at him, some with sinister smiles and one in full owl appearance that scowled down at Iwaizumi like he was going to eat him the second he moved. He recognized the smallest one he had caught in the net, balancing on a low branch and free as any other bird.

A sixth shifter slipped into his peripheral view, wandering into the clearing from the very edge of the cliff to urge Iwaizumi into the middle, cutting off his only possible escape. Iwaizumi slipped one of his blades from its sheath as he turned to face the newest one, unnerved by the owl’s cool gaze and observant eyes that shimmered like emeralds in the moonlight.

“Stay back. Perhaps I can’t fight you all at once, but I know I can kill at least one of you.”

The newest owl paused, cocking his head with interest. “I don’t doubt you have the ability, Human, but it would be best if you stopped struggling.”

“Why, so you can kill me, too? No thanks.”

“You say that as if we’ve already killed a human. Our kind hasn’t done that for a very long time.”

“Bullshit! We found his body just outside this forest.”

“Ah, that one. That was not us.”

The owl’s nonchalant attitude spiked Iwaizumi’s anger and without thinking he surged forward, grabbing the owl’s shirt to hold him as he held the blade to his pale throat. He ignored the fluttering behind him, the hisses and cries, but the owl in front of him didn’t flinch.

“The man was slashed to bits. How can you tell me with a straight face that it wasn’t one of _you_?”

“We can discuss this rationally without any weapons, if you’d like,” The owl responded calmly, but Iwaizumi could feel the thrum of his pulse under his fingers. He was more nervous than he was letting on. “Trust me, it would be to your advantage not to hurt me. We’ve been playing with you for now but kill me and they’ll make sure your death is not quick. I’m sure our mutual deaths would also spark a war between humans and our kind. Is that what you want?”

The direct question caused Iwaizumi to pause, to get a grip on his emotions. He had to admit the owl was right; drawing blood at that moment would have serious repercussions and killing one of the owls wasn’t part of his mission. Before he could decide his next action, a blanket of darkness covered over them, and with it came a terrifying presence behind Iwaizumi’s back.

“I believe Akaashi asked you a question, Human,” A deep, gravelly voice said behind him. Even with the blade to his throat, the owl named Akaashi smirked at him, the first hint of emotion breaking through his mask of indifference. Iwaizumi stepped back, pulling the blade away from Akaashi slowly as he turned around to face whatever presence had him trembling with anticipation.

His gaze drifted up the tree straight in front of him, continuing until it reached the top where a single figure was balanced on the uppermost branches that shouldn’t have been able to handle such weight. He was tall and broad, shifted mainly in his human form except for his wings stretched out to either side. With the moon to the owl’s back, Iwaizumi couldn’t make out his features except for two golden eyes blazing down at him from the dark silhouette.

“Uh, I… No, that’s not what I want,” Iwaizumi finally spoke, clearing his throat when his voice first came out raspy. The tension from the surrounding owls was broken as they snickered at his discomfort. Iwaizumi bit his tongue, despising the way the shifters had been chipping away at his pride the entire night. The main owl cocked his head at him and crouched down on the branches. He sprang off them and landed lightly on the ground in front of Iwaizumi, allowing the moonlight to flood back into the clearing.

Iwaizumi paid no attention as Akaashi wandered away to the perimeter of the circle, too captivated by the figure crouched in front of him to see anything else. His eyes widened as the shifter stood at full height, which was impressive. He was around Oikawa’s height and possibly even taller. The only clothes he wore were ripped up pants, leaving his entire torso bare for Iwaizumi to see. Light scars decorated the shifter’s muscles, but that did little to detract from his overwhelming beauty.

Iwaizumi’s mouth went dry as he continued staring at the owl shifter. He wasn’t sure where he wanted to look the most; his sculpted body, the silver wings spread out and filling the entire clearing, or the golden eyes radiating the heat of the sun itself. Even his ridiculous silver and black hair suited him, and Iwaizumi wondered if it was stiff or as soft as his feathers.

The shifter grinned widely at him, his mouth shining like the moon as he took a few steps closer. The movement finally snapped Iwaizumi out of his stupor, and he gripped the blade tighter and held it up in front of him.

“Stay back! I want answers about the dead man.”

The owl laughed as he looked at the blade, holding up his hands in front of him. “Easy! You’re quite an angry little thing, aren’t ya?”

“I’m as angry as I should be. And I’m not _little_!”

“Hmm, well I guess my question to you is, do you want answers, or do you want to fight? Cuz to me it looks like you wouldn’t be willing to hear the truth even if we beat you over the head with it.”

“The only reason I’m here is to bring one of you in for questioning.”

“Why not question us now? We’re all right here.”

“I’m not the one who does the questioning.”

A soft cough drew their attention to the side where Akaashi was standing, “I think what this hunter means, Bokuto-san, is that he brings us in and leaves us to the mercy of other men. Sounds like there’s no guarantee we’d make it out alive.”

“That true, Hunter?”

“In a sense, but I trust my superiors. They wouldn’t treat you that way.”

“Really?” Bokuto asked, startling Iwaizumi with the amount of grit in his voice. “Because your _superiors_ are the ones stirring shit up between our species. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re the ones who planted that body there.”

Iwaizumi held his anger in his jaw, clenching his teeth together so tight he could feel the vein in his temple popping. He held up his knife and readjusted his grip on it, an action that caused all the owls in the circle to tense up except for the one right in front of him.

“Say that again, Shifter.” Bokuto grin spread in response and he snickered at the blade. He held his hand up and rotated it slightly as his fingers morphed into three razor-sharp talons, each one longer than Iwaizumi’s one blade. “Fuck,” Iwaizumi whispered, realizing he was completely screwed.

“Let’s play, you little angry man.”

Iwaizumi barely had time to flinch when Bokuto leaped forward, snatching his wrist so he couldn’t move the knife and wrapped his arm around Iwaizumi’s body to get a good hold. Bokuto’s face hovered over his own, grinning even wider when Iwaizumi tried to jerk out of his hold. His grip tightened and his wings rose up, slamming down at the same time Bokuto kicked off the ground and sending them both into the air.

Iwaizumi squawked and struggled but kept his grip tight around the owl’s bare shoulders. He squeezed his eyes shut as Bokuto twisted in the air, his laughter booming in his ears.

“You’re not gonna hurl on me, are you?”

“Not if you stop spinning, Jackass!”

“Oooh you are a feisty one, aren’t ya?”

Iwaizumi released a scream that was higher-pitched than he’d ever admit as Bokuto dropped them back toward the earth, head-first. When they flew past the upper canopy of the forest, he twisted them up and used the momentum to slam Iwaizumi’s back into a tree trunk. The force knocked the wind out of him, as well as the knife in his hand. It took him a minute for his vision to clear and when it did, he was captured by golden eyes radiating with overwhelming intensity. He forced his gaze away to contemplate his predicament, which was pretty hopeless considering he was being pinned to a tree trunk with both Bokuto’s hands digging into his shoulders. His own feet were dangling as well and there was nothing within his reach to use to his advantage.

“Relax for a minute, will you?” Bokuto chuckled, his face relaxing a little. “I know you’re not the one to ask the questions, but you need to hear what we have to say.”

Iwaizumi knew he had little choice but to listen, but the surprising softness of Bokuto’s tone made him a little more willing. “Fine, what do you have to say?”

“We’re not murderers and even if we would kill, it would only be to eat. I’ve personally never had human, although…” He said, grinning as his face drifted beside Iwaizumi’s. “From what I hear they’re very tasty.”

Iwaizumi shivered from hearing the rough voice murmur in his ear. The strength of the shifter holding him to the tree and the irritating way he teased Iwaizumi should have pissed him off. Unfortunately, it stirred him up in an embarrassing way and made him wish his jacket wasn’t so hot and his pants weren’t so tight.

“Then why was his body found near here with slashes across his body?” Iwaizumi asked in a hoarse voice. Bokuto pulled his face back to look at him directly, his expression devoid of teasing and emanating sympathy instead.

“How many slashes went down his chest?”

“What?”

“The slashes that went down his chest… how many were there in a line?”

“Four.”

Bokuto shoved Iwaizumi a little higher on the trunk and pressed his body flat against him. With Iwaizumi’s weight being held up by his body, he released one of his hands and morphed it back into his owl talons. Iwaizumi eyed them warily, but Bokuto held them further away so he knew he wasn’t being threatened.

“Count ‘em.”

Iwaizumi cocked his head at him and Bokuto rolled his eyes and jerked his head toward his head. He wiggled the sharp talons in the air and Iwaizumi counted one...two… _Oh_.

“You only have three.”

“Bingo. And you’ll find that the marks look nothing what ours look like, it was too clean. It’s all too easy to stage something like that and it’s obvious why it was done. I wish you hunters would do a little more detective work rather than jumping on the _Ship of Misguided Justice_.”

Iwaizumi felt uncomfortable and squirmed a little in Bokuto’s hold. His skin was sweltering, flushed from the heat pouring into him from the owl’s body, the suggestive nature of their embrace, and the boiling thoughts of betrayal from his own organization. He didn’t want to acknowledge what Bokuto had said but it made too much sense to ignore. It was obvious that their leaders were pushing for war and annihilation of the shifters, so much so that Iwaizumi wondered if their vehemence was necessary. Every little infraction from any of the shifter communities seemed to be blown out of proportion, causing a wave of witch hunts and violent mobs to rise up against them. As critical as Iwaizumi had always been of it, he was mortified to realize how easily he got caught up with it when that citizen was found dead.

“Did you know who the man was?” He finally asked.

“Yeah, we knew him well. He was a farmer that lived at the base of the mountain. He lived alone and kept to himself, but he was always respectful of us. We even chased off a pack of wolves once that was set on having him for a meal. In return, he gave us some delicious food from his garden. We wanted to bury him or burn him out of respect, but we left him alone knowing your lot would want to investigate it. We didn’t dare touch him because that would just incriminate us more.”

“I understand.”

“You do? You actually believe what I’m saying?” Bokuto asked seriously, his thick eyebrows furrowed over his stare.

“Yes… at least I think I’ll look into this further. What you’re saying is confirming a lot that I had been suspicious about already.”

“Hm, for being suspicious you seemed very defensive over your organization.”

“Can you blame me? I care about what I do and I trust my team like they’re my own family. They’re the only ones I can truly trust.”

“Well, for your sake I hope you’re right.” Bokuto wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him away from the tree, allowing him to breathe easier. “Hold on tight, we’re going to fly again.”

Iwaizumi sucked in a quick breath as he wrapped his arms tight around Bokuto’s shoulders and snaked his legs around his waist. He glared at the owl’s stupid face when it lit up with amusement.

“What?”

“This is romantic, isn’t it?”

“The fuck it is.”

“Ha! It seems I have a bit more to prove to you before I drop you off at your bike.”

He bounced on the thick branch he was standing on and hopped up in the air. Instead of flying at break-neck speed and spinning through the air like before, his flight was as smooth as butter. It allowed Iwaizumi to relax slightly and gaze around him, to admire the beauty of the night with the wild forest beneath them and the blanket of sky above them. The rush of wind past his skin was refreshing and he sighed before he could help himself. As cool as the air was, he didn’t feel cold with his body pressed against Bokuto’s and those arms wrapped securely around his back and waist.

“Here, you ready?” Bokuto asked, beating his wings hard to keep them hovering in the air.

“Ready for what?”

Bokuto didn’t answer him, just chuckled deep from his chest and leaned to the side. He started to spin but not as quickly as the last time. They glided over the forest until it dropped away completely, giving them a full view of the rolling valley below. Iwaizumi rested his chin on Bokuto’s shoulder and gaped at the river snaking through the trees and reflecting the moonlight with its rippling water. As Bokuto turned, Iwaizumi was then greeted with a view of the sky above, the stars glittering across the expanse of deep blue. Not in his wildest dreams had he ever thought he would have such a chance, to view the world from above without the help of a plane or hang glider. It was more than romantic, it was life-changing.

All too soon they were heading back toward the edge of the mountain. To his surprise, Bokuto swooped right to the piece of road where his bike was parked and set down gently next to it.

“How did you know where it was?” Iwaizumi asked.

“I heard you drive in, so I came and checked it out. By the time I got here you had already ventured into the forest, so I followed your path until you got cornered by the others.”

“You heard my bike? It’s supposed to be virtually silent.”

“Yeah, we’ve got pretty good ears,” Bokuto chuckled as he released one of his arms around Iwaizumi to scratch his silver and black hair. “Listen, if you have to come back it would be better if you try not to sneak up on us. I might not take it so easy on you next time.”

Iwaizumi clicked his tongue and shoved Bokuto away, although it lacked any real punch. “Believe it or not, I was going easy on you. I’m not sure you could handle a fight where I go all out.”

“Oh? I think I’d like to wrestle with you a bit more, uh… shit, I don’t even know your name.”

“Iwaizumi Hajime.”

“Bokuto Koutarou! The leader of our flock, but I bet you figured that part out already.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Iwaizumi laughed as he ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. He paused when Bokuto whined and leaned forward into his space. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, it looks like I cut up your jacket.”

Iwaizumi lifted his arm and immediately felt a cool breeze flow through a gaping hole down his side. He sighed and let his arm fall to his side. “Nah, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have worn it on a mission like this. We have better jackets for this kind of work.”

“Yeah, but it’s a really sexy jacket!”

Iwaizumi perked up and squared his shoulders proudly. “I know, right? My best friend makes fun of me for wearing it, but I think it looks great.”

“Especially on you!” Bokuto agreed, wincing as soon as he realized what he said and looked away with an awkward laugh. “I mean, I wish I could wear cool jackets like that but I hardly ever put my wings away, so there’d be no point.”

“If I had wings like that, I’d never put them away either.”

Bokuto straightened up at the compliment, his face splitting with a captivating smile of pure joy. It was irresistible for Iwaizumi, meeting the smile with one of his own. He laughed softly at the way Bokuto seemed to preen even more, his wings giving a playful shiver.

It caught Iwaizumi off-guard how much he wanted to linger there in the forest with the strange owl shifter. The silence between them was warm with a slight crackle of tension. He wanted to wrestle Bokuto but not to capture him. He wanted to know more about him and their way of life out in the wilderness. Even with his jacket on, he felt too cold without the press of his warm body against his own.

Iwaizumi coughed into his hand, hoping his face hadn’t flushed from that final thought.  “Listen, I have to get back and check-in with my people.”

“I understand. Just be careful who you trust. I have a feeling that more people are behind this than you think. If you get in over your head, you can always hide out here with us!”

 _Damn it, this guy_ , Iwaizumi thought, marveling at how many turns that night had taken him to end up where he was. His duty had been pummeled, torn apart and slapped back together with new purpose by the overwhelming man in front of him. Bokuto was bouncing on his toes, biting his lip as he waited for Iwaizumi’s response and it made him want to ruffle his hair and coo praises to the big idiot. How did he obliterate his walls so quickly?

“I’ll consider it. See you around, Bokuto.”

“Awesome! Have a safe trip back. I know it won’t be as nice as flying, but what can you do?”

Iwaizumi laughed and swung his leg over the seat. He picked up his helmet and held it in front of him as he looked back at Bokuto one last time.

“Maybe one day.”

Bokuto beamed at him and kicked off the ground, his wings beating the air to lift him higher. “One day!” He shouted before then swooping away, disappearing with nothing but a rustle of leaves in his wake.

Iwaizumi’s face fell before shoving his helmet on. The world was already too quiet and solemn without the owl’s presence. It was even worse that he had to return to what was possibly a den of vipers. He hoped his friends would listen to everything he had learned and come to the same conclusion he had. It was his only shot at stopping a pointless war before it began.

His bike started up easily with its soft purr. There was just enough space on the road to turn around and head back the way he came earlier that evening. It was strange how the further he sped away from the mountain, a sense of dread crept through his veins like ice spreading across a window pane. Returning to the base and his home should have filled him with comfort, but his whole world had been flipped on its head.

_Who knows what happens next… but I hope we meet again._

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was so much fun! I wish I could do more of it, or just more BokuIwa because I've been craving to write them together for so long. Bless you Trash for requesting it, I hope you enjoyed it! Also a big thank you to [Blueismybusiness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueismybusiness/pseuds/Blueismybusiness) for helping me with a title!! And also being a constant source of encouragement *hugs*


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